The Worst Witch 2017 - Helping Ethel
by the stargate time traveller
Summary: Dedicated to my friend Hallow Sisters on My Mind. Mildred overhears the older Hallow sisters speaking about a certain topic, and everything changes between them.


For my friend Hallow Sisters on My Mind, Merry Christmas.

Please tell me what you think.

* * *

Helping Ethel.

Mildred Hubble just wanted to the day to end as she walked towards her bedroom, hoping to just sleep off the day and hoped the next one was three times better than the one she had just had. She had just come from a truly horrible detention with HB, but then again all detentions with the potions mistress.

But this detention would be one she would not be treasuring forever. Her cauldron had exploded in class, again. She had spent the last few hours cleaning up the laboratory as part of her detention. Mildred closed her eyes for a second, knowing that if this happened a few more times, her mother would be dragged into the school once more. The last thing her mother needed right now was to be dragged into the school especially since Julie was going to do a lot of night shift work and she needed her beauty sleep.

But then again whenever had the teachers ever bothered to remember the right times?

What Mildred could not work out was why the teachers, instead of dragging her mother into the school constantly, didn't just come up with a logical solution to the problem of her not being able to learn potions. Her mother had more than once suggested the teachers give her late night training, hints and tips, or even bringing in a tutor. But unfortunately, they had never once done it. Sometimes Mildred and Julie had asked themselves if the teachers had not done so because it was just an inconvenience to them though how it could be they didn't know, but because they deliberately wanted to push Mildred away. It was times like that, despite her increasing knowledge of magic and the lore of the witching world, Mildred sometimes asked herself if she was simply given the trial like a dog handed scraps from a plate….

It was a depressing thought, but Mildred had more than once thought about it after the way she had been treated over the last few years in Cackles Academy, and with the constant put downs and how her mother herself was treated, Mildred couldn't help but feel she was being used for some reason she couldn't yet work out.

One thing was for sure, learning magic for people who hadn't grown up knowing about it, was incredibly difficult. It wasn't like in the Harry Potter books where Hermione Granger who hadn't known anything about magic until she was eleven herself, had become top of her year.

As she was walking through the school, trying hard to stay positive, she passed by a bedroom door without paying much attention while she tried to return to her own room with its nice bed even if the mattress was sometimes like a rock, and overheard two familiar voices.

"I'm tired of it, Esme," she heard and Mildred paused, recognising Ethel Hallows' distinctive accent instantly.

Esmerelda had returned to the castle a full year after losing her magic to Agatha Cackle but she had it back now thanks to the Founding Stone (Mildred had no idea what the consequences for the use of the stone were, but she doubted it was good; she had been in the witching world for a short time, but she knew already how severe the punishments could be, but Esmerelda and the other sisters seemed alright and unaffected, though she knew it was probably hidden behind their public facades), so the sisters were together again.

The younger Hallows were certainly happy about their elder sister being with them; Sybil was happier now this year than she had been the year before when she had first started, and Ethel seemed to have calmed down. It was just amazing that the elder sister had such an effect on her younger sisters, but Mildred had seen them together and knew, even if Ethel denied it, there was a strong connection.

"Ethel," Mildred heard Esme say to her sister; it wasn't the brunette girls' intention to eavesdrop, but she was just curious so she stayed. "I've told you before. We can hep you - proper help for a change, without HB or Cackle or our parents interfering."

Mildred frowned. It seemed the Hallows had issues with the teachers much like she herself did, but she wasn't surprised about the mention of the Hallow parents. After everything she had seen from Mrs Hallow, Mildred was worried about the reasons for Ethels' bitterness were more serious than she'd originally thought.

"But how Esme? if anyone finds out they will stop it again like mum and dad did last time they found the medication," Ethel countered her sisters' assurances.

There was a number of sounds in the other room. There were a series of soft footsteps and the sound of something softer, but since Mildred couldn't tell what was inside the bedroom to see what was going on.

"Don't worry about them," Esmerelda said seriously, "I am older now and I know what to do, you don't need to keep suffering from this."

The more she overheard what was happening in the bedroom, this private conversation, Mildred could not help but become more convinced something bigger was going on with the sisters. Medication? What had happened to it? What did it do? Did Ethel have some kind of illness and her parents did not understand it?

Concern and worry for the blonde girl blossomed inside her.

Mildred was puzzled and worried. She and Ethel were not friends. But that didn't mean Mildred didn't like the girl in pain, especially since she knew how much grief the blonde endured daily. Mildred had taken everything the girl had said the year before onboard and as a result, she had done her best to give Ethel some space.

Granted, it didn't always completely work, but the thought counted.

Her heart went out to the two girls; Esmerelda for trying to hold her sister up and Ethel for whatever was wrong with her.

"It won't work, we'll be stopped." Ethel was still pessimistic.

Esmerelda's voice became more exasperated even though she was trying to be optimistic at the same time. Mildred had often heard this tone from the girl in the past, and she knew Ethel was just ignoring it.

"Ethie, it's going to be okay, I promise," Esmerelda said in that familiar way that said the teenager was trying to hang onto her patience.

"How can you help me get help?" Ethel asked.

"There are medications and counselling you can get," Esme said as she tried to get her points across to her sister, implying the problem was mental rather than physical to Mildred.

Ethel's response was typical for the blonde; there was the sound like sounded like a bed had just been shoved back, the sound of a startled cat Mildred was convinced was Esmerelda's familiar yowling while Ethel snapped, "I ain't crazy!"

Esmerelda's voice was patient and not once did it shake at the anger in her sisters' voice. "I know, but depression is difficult to treat. I'm willing to do anything to help you with this, Ethel."

Depression. Well, that explained a lot. It explained Ethel's mood swings, some of which were violent and virtually unpredictable, but Mildred had never imagined she would hear about this now.

There was a shuffle in the bedroom, which snapped Mildreds' mind back to the present moment. A pleased moan which sounded like Ethel came through the door.

"You and Sybil," Esmerelda's voice was a whisper now as she was clearly holding onto her sister, "you are more important to me than anything. I hate it when you two are upset; it kills me each time. But we can get through it together if you let me. Sybil would love to help as well, I know she would. She loves you deeply even if the pair of you fight every now and then. I love you as well. Please, Ethie, let us in."

The only sound inside that sounded like it came from Ethel was a sigh, she clearly knew she couldn't let herself live the way she did anymore; Mildred knew the blonde well enough to know her pride was warring with the desire to let her sisters in. But a part of her wondered what had brought this on all of a sudden since it was known between the sisters.

"Okay," Ethel said at last, "I'll let you help me. I'll do everything you say."

Esmerelda let out a sigh of relief at her sisters' agreement, and Mildred realised Esme had been terrified Ethel was going to just ignore her problems until they consumed her. She didn't blame her for that.

"You're not going to regret this, Ethie," Esmerelda said, "I love you."

Mildred overheard Ethel take a few deep breaths, but after a moment the blonde began speaking again, "I love you and Sybil too," Ethel said, relieved.

The sudden sound of Esmerelda crying broke Mildred's heart; clearly, the elder blonde girl had believed the feeling was not mutual, though it was hardly a surprise given how Ethel acted frequently.

Her sisters crying set Ethel off. "I am so sorry," the younger blonde girl wailed, "I'm useless at making you happy!"

"Oh shut up!"

Mildred heard Ethel let out a breathless squeak and realised Esmerelda had just hugged her tightly and had wrapped Ethel in a tight embrace an octopus would be weeping with envy over.

"Okay, I'm glad you love me, Esme," Ethel choked out breathlessly, "but you are hurting my ribs!"

"Oh sorry," Esme said quickly.

The whole scene and the revelation Ethel suffered from depression made Mildred feel incredibly guilty. She was about to move off back to her bedroom and hope to god neither of the sisters left the bedroom and saw her walking away when the worst thing to happen happened.

She sneezed.

While she was cursing herself, she froze when she heard Ethel speak. "What was that? Is someone outside?!"

Knowing she didn't want to be seen or found by either girl, Mildred rushed off as quickly and as quietly as she could (she hated her boots; HB had made sure she had the tightest boots imaginable, so they were never the right size and every time they were tightened, the boots dug into her flesh, but right now she hoped they got her out of sight quickly).

By the time Esmerelda came to the door, Mildred was out of sight.

"There's no-one out here now," the teenager said quietly and Mildred realised the girl was looking everywhere she could while staying in the doorway of her room. "It must've been someone walking by fast."

"But what if they listened in?" Ethel asked in a frightened tone that really upset Mildred, knowing what the girl was getting at. If there was one thing Ethel hated the most, it was anyone knowing anything about her problems. "What if they spread it all over the school I suffer from depression?"

"If they do," Esmerelda's voice was terrifying and Mildred closed her eyes, sure the blonde would hear her if she gulped guiltily because she had overheard though she had no intention of telling anybody besides her mother so then she could find a way of helping Ethel, "well lets just say they're going to figure out why I'm good at magic."

"You would attack someone…..for me?" Ethel whispered, and Mildred felt tears enter her eyes at the girls' tone. Ethel sounded so lost, so pained…. it was heartbreaking.

"Yes, of course, I would," Esmerelda said, but Mildred could tell she was just as upset as she was at Ethels' 'no-one can love me' attitude. "Don't you worry, Ethie. It will be okay. I promise."

* * *

The next day, Ethel was sitting in her bedroom. She was currently on break, and because she had a lot on her mind she was spending the majority of her time with Nightstar. She didn't want to spend any time with her classmates since none of them knew about her problems and truthfully she wasn't going to say a word.

None of them would understand her or her problems in her mind, so there was little point in her saying anything to anybody. She smiled at her cat fondly. She had been overjoyed when she had been given the cat as her familiar two years before, as every witch needed a companion and she genuinely loved the cat.

At the moment, Nightstar could sense her fears and was trying to reassure her.

Someone knocked on her door.

Ethel looked up, wondering who it was. She didn't think it was her sisters; unless they knew she was in a troubled or a very bad mood, neither Ethel nor Sybil bothered with formality of any kind, so that meant it was probably someone else since her sisters knew she was in a reasonably good mood.

She looked at her cat. "Who do you think that can be, Nightatar?" she whispered to her cat.

The cat sent her a look that spoke louder than words and Ethel chuckled at the message in her cats' eyes; "Why are you asking me? Go on, move your backside and find out, you silly witch!"

Ethel chuckled and she called out, "Come in," with a smile on her face, thinking it was probably one of her sisters after all. But her smile disappeared instantly when the door opened slowly, revealing someone Ethel wished she didn't have to speak to.

"Mildred Hubble! What are you doing in my bedroom?" Ethel asked, her mood darkening the moment she saw the brunette girl. Meanwhile, Nightstar was looking at the brunette with judgement in her eyes but tinged with curiosity. She didn't have any major issues with Mildred except that she shared Ethel's sentiment about her being annoying at times, but she did like the brunette girl.

Mildred took a deep breath, hoping this wasn't going to be as difficult as she'd imagined it would be. Slowly she walked towards the bed, holding out a card.

"Take it," the brunette said, holding it out.

Ethel looked at the card suspiciously, but she didn't take it. "What is it?" she asked. Ethel didn't trust Mildred, and she didn't want the girl to give her something potentially nasty. Her life was bad enough as it was, even with Esme's assurances.

"Just take it, Ethel," Mildred said, not moving and trying to keep her nerve without sighing in annoyance since it wouldn't help. "Please, it's not anything nasty."

Ethel picked up her cat, who yowled in protest at losing her comfortable place on Ethels' lap. "You go and play, good girl," Ethel cooed at her cat before she reached out and cautiously took the card away from Mildred. Despite the other girls' words, Ethel still regarded her - and the card - with suspicion.

She looked at the card and began to read it. Mildred saw a few emotions cross the other girls face; it didn't surprise her in the slightest when she saw surprise appear on the blonde witch's face, and it was quickly transformed into anger, and from there into a rage.

But what Mildred was not expecting though she should have done was when Ethel leapt off of her bed, startling Nightstar and herself.

"What is this?!" Ethel spat.

Mildred swallowed as carefully as she could, but it was hard for her to keep her cool and not just escape while she could. She had seen Ethel furious many times before, but never like this. Ethel's face was almost demonic in her fury and outrage, her teeth were gritted and her eyes were spitting fire, but more startling to her was how the air around Ethel was crackling furiously and she realised it was the girls magic that was reacting.

Knowing she had to be careful otherwise, Ethel would do something she probably would not forget, Mildred held out her hands as calmingly as she could, "Ethel let me explain, please calm down and I will explain to you….."

She didn't expect it to really work, and it didn't. "Don't tell me what to do!" Ethels' voice was dark and thick with fury.

Mildred knew she had the blonde there. She simply shrugged her shoulders, hoping it didn't set off Ethel's temper. "Then I can't tell you what it is," she said evenly, hoping Ethel would take the bait. If there was one thing she knew about her, it was that Ethel was incredibly nosy and curious when she was presented with a puzzle that didn't have an automatic answer.

Ethel folded her arms and made a visible effort to calm down. By the time she sat back down on her bed, the air around her had returned to normal though the atmosphere was still oppressive. She sat silently and glared at Mildred expectantly.

"Yesterday," Mildred began and decided to get it out as quickly and as carefully as possible, "I overheard you and Esme talking in her bedroom-."

"You did what?!" Ethels' temper flared again. "Is nothing sacred? What will it take before everyone leaves me in peace-?"

"Ethel-," Mildred tried to say, but the blonde interrupted her.

"I knew someone was eavesdropping. I should have known the whole time that it was you," Ethel snapped, glaring at her with something Mildred really hoped was not hatred, though on this occasion she wouldn't blame the blonde if she did hate her.

"Is that what you came to tell me?" Ethel went on, glaring at her challengingly, but the clear sign of tears welling up in her eyes made Mildred see this had hit her worse than she'd planned, though she had known Ethel would not take it well in the first place. Ethel went on, "That you're happy now you know I'm crazy!?"

She finished with a choke.

Mildred felt her heart well with sympathy. By now she was almost wishing she hadn't decided to poke her nose into this and just leave this to the Hallow sisters, but it was too late now.

But she was also angry with the implication in Ethel's voice.

Why did the blonde always think she was out to get her?

"No. I came here with the card because I wanted to help, I wanted to try to help your sisters make you feel better. Ethel, if you'd been paying any attention, then you'd have realised I always tried to stop Miss cackle giving me credit this year. I took what you were saying during that mess with the Founding Stone onboard, and I decided to make your life easier - that way you gained more credit. I never knew you were depressed. I really want to help," Mildred said.

With each word, Mildred uttered Ethel was losing her anger, but she was still upset that the brunette witch had overheard an extremely sensitive conversation.

"How can you help me? Are you going to tell Miss Cackle?" she asked untrustingly.

To her surprise, Mildred snorted. "No, I wouldn't trust her on this."

And the brunette didn't. She still wasn't sure what Cackle's game was, but she knew better than to expect the headmistress to understand or even help Ethel with this problem. More than likely, the stupid woman would get Mrs Hallow into the school, and that would be the last thing the sisters needed even if it was done with the best of intentions. The problem was Miss Cackle was shockingly limited when it came to peoples' problems and issues, as Mildred could attest to.

No, she wasn't going to say a word to the headmistress. It also didn't help that although she was kinder than her sister, Ada believed witches helped themselves and besides what could she do about Ethel's problems? Nothing, that was what.

Ethel was surprised when Mildred said that. She had imagined the brunette would just go to the headmistress seeing as the two probably had tea together, and tell the old has-been about her problems. She hadn't expected the snort, nor her instant reply. What in Merlin and Morgans' names was going on?

"Then how can you help?" Ethel asked, believing it was a logical question since she wasn't sure how Mildred could help her. "I don't understand.."

"I can be there for you," Mildred said, "If you want to throw abuse at someone, I'll do that for you. If you want to talk to someone other than your sisters, then fine."

She'd had it all thought out. When she had spoken to her mother, Mildred had wondered what she could offer the blonde that her sisters couldn't provide. And then it hit her. Ethel always loved arguing with her, throwing abuse. Mildred had always hated it in the past, but when she'd overheard the sisters she began to see she could do some good for Ethel.

Ethel was surprised and yet touched by what Mildred was offering. She was surprised the brunette was offering her the means to throw abuse at her, just so then she could get some of her depression out of the way. There must be something more to this. "But why would you do this when I am only ever horrible to you, there must be a catch," she finished suspiciously.

In her mind, and in the minds of all Hallows, life was not free. There was always a cost.

But Mildred just shook her head. "No catch," she said.

Mildred supposed she should have been annoyed and exasperated with Ethels' attitude that there would always be a catch, but somehow she was not surprised. Meanwhile, Ethel's sharp mind was going over everything that was happening and something occurred to her.

"Hold on, how would you know about how to help me? Unless... You've asked someone what to do, haven't you?" she glared at Mildred, her anger returning.

Mildred sighed, not even trying to deny it. She had wondered if this would come up in the subject, to be honest, but now she knew she needed to be honest. "I spoke to my mother. And before you overreact," she went on quickly before Ethel exploded with fury, "my mother is a nurse. She told me I only had to be there for you."

Ethel wanted to scream at the girl for that for what she'd done by bringing her mother into this, but then she thought about the pros and the cons to Mildred's mother knowing about her problem. She knew Mildred's mother was not a witch, she didn't know how much of a taboo mental illness was to the magical world, so she couldn't do any damage.

Deciding to keep her cool was an extremely difficult task for Ethel, but she managed it a little bit, but she needed to know something important; she leaned forward and glared at Mildred, making it very very clear to the girl the answer better be the truth, or else.

"But you haven't told anybody else apart from your mother, right? Not Maud or Enid?"

Mildred had been intimidated by the glare, knowing what it was instantly, and she quickly answered. "No."

"Why not?"

"I've got no intention of telling them anything, and if they see us together I will just say we're trying to get along and beyond that, I couldn't care less about what they think."

And she didn't. While she liked Maud and Enid, she had no intention of spreading it through the school Ethel suffered from depression. She trusted her friends but this was sensitive, and she had no intention of opening her mouth and risking someone else overhearing it and spreading it around. No. It was best if she kept it between herself and the sisters.

Ethel mulled that over. It surprised her that Mildred wasn't telling her friends what she'd learnt instantly, but she could tell the brunette was telling the truth. For that she was grateful, but she kept the gratitude off of her face and out of her eyes, but she still had one further issue. "But what about your mother?"

To her, that was the biggest concern she had. She knew Mildred, she didn't know her mother.

Mildred frowned at the question, hoping the blonde didn't utter one of her snide comments about her mother. "What about her?" she asked cautiously. She had an idea of where this was going but wanted to be sure.

"What if she tells Miss Cackle?" Ethel asked, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Mildred's apparent cluelessness.

Ethel was surprised when yet again Mildred snorted. Why was she snorting each time Cackle was mentioned? She thought the brunette and Cackle were friends, at least that was how it looked.

The brunettes' response was just as surprising. "My mother barely trusts the teachers, I doubt she would trust them with something so critical," Mildred said seriously.

She was telling the truth, and suddenly Ethel had no idea what to think. Never mind what to say. She had no idea in her mind why Mildred was being so nice, but she was grateful to the brunette witch for being discreet. But then she remembered something important and distracted her from properly thanking the brunette.

"Did….did you," she began bashfully, suddenly shy and uncertain, "hear what I said to Esme…. about her and Sybil?"

Mildred blinked, "Which part?" she asked, mentally trying to remember what Ethel was talking about, but she was coming up with a blank. She had been more interested in speaking to her mum about Ethels' depression, and she had blanked out the rest.

Ethel rolled her eyes, but she was still too shy to react angrily to the apparent cluelessness Mildred was showing. "About….how I feel about her? Them, I mean," she corrected.

Mildred realised what the girl was getting at, and she couldn't help but smile at Ethels' attitude, which reminded her more of Sybil than anything else.

"You don't have to be embarrassed for loving your sisters, Ethel. It's not a crime to love your sisters, and quite honestly who cares? Everyone in the school knows Esmerelda loves you, and she doesn't care who knows it and who doesn't. You and Sybil are lucky to have each other and Esme."

"I suppose you are right," Ethel said, looking down, trying to hide her relief, "it is just my parents make me think loving someone is weak."

The moment she said that Ethel wanted to take it back but it was too late. After a second had passed, it occurred to her it didn't matter. Mildred already knew that her relationship with her parents was not spectacular; she had seen it first hand and since Cackle had stupidly in her opinion spoken to HB about her mothers' hologram, which had been spoken about in a corridor, it hadn't taken long for it to be spread through the castle.

Personally, Mildred wondered how long it would have been before Ethel mentioned her parents. Like everyone else, she knew Ethel didn't have a good relationship with her parents. Hell, she had been horrified when she had learnt thanks to Cackles' loose mouth what Ursula Hallow had done during their first year parents evening by sending a hologram. But Mildred had gained proof during the next year when Ethel tried to reason with the woman about ruining her younger daughters' education by getting Cackle kicked out one simple truth. Ursula Hallow did not care about her daughters. She didn't even care about Esmerelda. Mildred had it in her mind Mrs Hallow felt she did care about her daughters, but truthfully she didn't. The brunette wasn't sure if the woman was a sociopath or a psychopath, but she was not going to let the woman or her husband ruin Ethel's life. She truly wanted to help the blonde girl and her sisters. They deserved much better.

But she had something else on her mind now. "Your parents... Ethel, I was outside listening to your conversation... and Esme mentioned something about medication?"

Ethel was the confused one this time, but she realised quickly what Mildred was asking. "Oh right, that. When I was ten my grandmother took me to the doctors because everyone was worried about my mental health, it was then I was diagnosed. My grandmother, however, lives in Australia so she had to go back home and it was left to me and my sisters to sort out the medication. Esme kept it hidden but one day they walked in as I was taking it, they rang my gran and had a go at her and then threw the pills away."

Mildred couldn't believe this. Oh, she knew Ethels' parents were not the nicest of people, and they seemed to put themselves first before their daughters, but surely they weren't this stupid? "What? Why would they do that?"

"Mental health is taboo, I was bringing shame on the entire Hallow name, we would of being a laughing stock."

Mildred scoffed. She couldn't help herself. There were moments she asked herself if the witching world was deliberately stupid, and this was one of them. Not only was mental health scorned when things like depression and Aspergers could be diagnosed quickly, and surely with magic, they could mitigate the worst of it while keeping the people who had it from having a difficult life, right?

"How?" she asked, annoyed with the witching world for being so ignorant that if they ignored mental health issues it would go away, but she was more angry with Mr and Mrs Hallow for once more shoving their precious image before their daughters' wellbeing.

Ethel blinked. She was surprised when she heard the anger in Mildred's voice. "What?"

"How would you be a laughingstock if no-one else knew about it?" Mildred asked, trying her best to calm down so she could speak to Ethel. "Do your parents really tell others their personal business to that degree? Those pills could have been hidden, and if you'd needed to have told the teachers then it could have been done privately. Or you and Esme and Sybil could have kept it a secret during your time here. No-one needed to know."

Ethel was so taken by surprise by Mildred's well thought out reply it took her a moment to think of an appropriate response. She had to admit. Mildred did have a point. Her parents did tell people a great deal, in fact, it was wondrous they had not been burgled or anything like that. But they could have kept silent and allowed her those pills instead of throwing them away.

Mildred was right. How could their family be called a laughingstock if they didn't know about her depression?

"I don't know," she said at last, "but that was what they told me. Since then I had to go without them, Esme wasn't old enough to get any more, so I had no choice but to live without them."

Mildred closed her eyes for a second, wondering how the sisters had coped with this, just like she asked herself just how the girl whom she had briefly met when the Mists of Time had come down on the school but knew was Ethel's grandmother because they were virtually identical had felt when her own granddaughters' problem had not been treated.

She felt herself respect the older witch. At least she was with it enough to care about Ethel, not like those sorry excuses for human beings.

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Mildred and Ethel finally, more or less, settled their differences. Both Esmerelda and Sybil who had been told about the late-night discussion were surprised by how Ethel and Mildred's relationship had evolved.

Finally, Esmerelda and Sybil were told by Ethel that Mildred had overheard their conversation, but before the other Hallow sisters could react, Ethel told them the brunette had not said a word to anybody else, including the teachers.

Esmerelda had no idea what to think. On the one hand, she was grateful to Mildred for not revealing what their idiot parents had done and how Ethel needed help with her problem since the revelation would put back Ethel's recovery. But she was annoyed with Mildred for eavesdropping, however, she quickly forgave the girl when she found out Mildred had told her mother only and had no intention of telling everyone else.

Sybil, however, was happy that Mildred was helping Ethel, and since she and the brunette girl actually got along due to their similar personalities, but she was just relieved someone other than herself and Esme knew about Ethel's depression and was willing to help them with it. Sybil didn't care about mental health issues since her sister suffered from one herself, and she absolutely hated it when Ethel was in one of her moods.

Besides, as both blondes later realised, having Mildred onboard was actually a benefit. The brunette was able to distract Ethel in ways the sisters could not. Ethel had always enjoyed verbal sparring and she finally had the chance to quarrel with Mildred freely about anything she or Mildred wanted. While the middle Hallow sister argued with Sybil, there was only so much the youngest Hallow could argue with Ethel with.

Sometimes the fights were staged in order for Ethel to take her mind off of her problems.

All Ethel had to do if she felt she needed an argument to relieve some of her stress, she used the system she had arranged for Mildred; a simple gesture and a look, and the brunette understood and acknowledged so then it could happen after that Ethel would begin the fight.

But as the weeks passed, they showed a totally different light. They became friendlier and sometimes they would work together in class, much to the surprise of Maud and Enid as well as everyone else.

The teachers were just as surprised, but because Hardbroom and Cackle were incredibly finite in their understanding and were both incredibly shortsighted, they believed the problem had righted itself out because of their own patience though they were concerned about the continuing rows between Mildred and Ethel even if those moments where the girls worked together on more amicable terms had grown.

They didn't realise the early problems between both Mildred and Ethel could have been resolved much sooner if they had gotten involved. The code prevented them from causing true interference, but that was just an excuse because both of the teachers, deep down, knew they were out of their depth. The other teachers had wanted to step in, but they had not because of Hardbroom's attitude.

None of the faculty realised or even guessed the truth.

Nor did they realise that once she was more comfortable with the brunette, Ethel would ask Mildred why she didn't trust the two heads. The Hallow sisters were surprised when Mildred told them about the stress HB and Cackle put her mother under, even when she was doing her level best to work on her studies. After that, Mildred received a little bit of help from the sisters, particularly after they saw first hand just how frustrated and stressed she was after she had spoken to her mother. They had heard the conversation right outside, and Mildred was openly annoyed and horrified with what had happened.

Apparently HB and Cackle had gotten into a shouting match with Julie because they had been "concerned" about the rows even if Ethel and Mildred had settled their differences with each other, but instead of speaking to Mildred or Ethel…. they decided to speak to Julie instead, and it had gotten into a shouting match.

Julie had been frustrated and annoyed with HB's snide comments which were unnecessary, though Cackle didn't stop it, but because Julie knew what was really happening there wasn't a lot she could do. She wasn't going to tell the teachers about Ethel's depression, it was none of their business since they had never cared about the blonde before. And after that day, Julie was unlikely to tell them anything at all. But Julie did tell Mildred to tone it down a bit, though she was becoming used to the fact Cackle and Hardbroom would keep dragging her into the office.

Meanwhile, Esmerelda was using her access to her grandmother to help her find someone who could tell if the original medical treatment Ethel had used in the past before their parents had thrown the pills away without a whiff of interest Ethel would suffer. When Ethel received her prescription, she became noticeably calmer, but when Mildred learnt about the pills she told the sisters to take steps to make sure no-one, especially Mr and Mrs Hallow, found out about them.

All in all, Ethel was getting better.

* * *

What do you think?


End file.
